KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Some shuffling is taking place as teams settle into conference play, while Eastern Oregon and McPherson (Kan.) are the only teams to remain at the same rank as the previous poll. Twelve teams moved up in the poll and 11 were bumped down.
The Top 10 teams represent seven different conferences this week: Cascade Collegiate Conference, Great Plains Athletic Conference, Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, Crossroads League, Frontier Conference, Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference and the Heart of America Athletic Conference.
Eastern Oregon has been nearly untouchable through the first month of the season, racing out to a perfect 15-0 record and a 4-0 mark in Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) play. The Mountaineers have won all 15 matches, including 12 straight-set victories, while posting an impressive .331 team hitting percentage. Senior outside hitter Keira Vaughn has led a balanced attack with 181 season kills (3.77 kills per set) and a .399 hitting percentage, while Brooke Womack (2.92 kills per set) and Akylah Kaino (2.53 kills per set) provide additional firepower. Eastern Oregon’s offense is directed by senior setter Kate Stidham, who averages 6.86 assists per set. The Mountaineers defense keeps things going with strong contributions from libero Jaycee Villastrigo and a front-row unit led by Mylie Mills (.96 blocks per set) and Jule Whitley (1.29 blocks per set). With solid wins over conference foes Southern Oregon, Oregon Tech, Evergreen (Wash.), and Northwest (Wash.), Eastern Oregon continues deeper into CCC play.
Concordia (Neb.) enters the heart of conference play with an 11-2 overall record, a perfect 2-0 mark in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) action and a five-match winning streak. The Bulldogs have relied on a balanced offensive attack led by junior outside hitter Shandy Faalii, who paces the team with 167 kills (3.63 per set), while freshman Samantha Kimbell has added 83 season kills in a strong debut season. Concordia’s offense has been orchestrated by setters Myla Emery (287 season assists) and Ella Brueggemann (202 season assists), helping the Bulldogs earn quality wins over teams such as Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), Ottawa (Kan.), Saint Francis (Ind.) and Midland (Neb.). Concordia will dive deeper into GPAC play after opening with straight-set victories over Midland and a four-set win against College of Saint Mary.
Northwestern (Iowa) has compiled a 12-1 record, a perfect 2-0 mark in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), marking a nine-match winning streak. The Red Raiders are powered by senior outside hitter Stella Winterfeld, who leads the team with 205 season kills and averages 4.56 kills per set, while setter Nyah Potthoff directs the offense with 475 season assists and an impressive 10.33 assists per set. Northwestern has received key contributions from Maddy Sampson, Halie Kapelke and Aubree Shields and owns notable victories over Oklahoma Wesleyan, Ottawa (Kan.), Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) and Morningside (Iowa). Since suffering its lone loss of the season to undefeated Eastern Oregon, the Red Raiders have responded with nine consecutive wins.
The College of Idaho is only the second unbeaten team in the Top 25, next to conference opponent Eastern Oregon. The Yotes have compiled an 11-0 record and a perfect 4-0 mark in Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) play. The Yotes have shown resilience throughout their undefeated run, earning key conference victories over Oregon Tech and Southern Oregon while winning four matches that went at least four sets. Senior outside hitter Jessica Stires leads a balanced offensive attack with 83 kills, while Alexa Wheeler (78 kills) and Keylee Wilson (68 kills) have provided steady production at the net. Junior setter Shaynee McWilliams has paced the offense with 356 assists and a .384 hitting percentage, while the Yotes’ depth and defensive consistency have helped fuel their unbeaten start. With 11 consecutive victories and an upcoming matchup against fellow undefeated Eastern Oregon looming at the end of the month, the College of Idaho has made its way into the Top 5, moving up five spots from the last poll.
McPherson enters Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) play carrying an 11-2 record and a nine-match winning streak. The Bulldogs have been fueled by a balanced offense that features five players averaging at least two kills per set, led by senior middle blocker Enya Fierens, who has totaled 126 season kills while hitting an impressive .405. Lily Gray (93 season kills), Tori Buss (94 season kills), Havana Olander (87 season kills) and freshman Miriam Maino (84 season kills) have added depth to a potent attack, while setters Tabor Scanlon and Roxana Varela Parra have combined for 477 assists this season. Since opening the season with a pair of losses against nationally recognized opponents, McPherson has rattled off nine consecutive victories, including wins over Doane (Neb.), Loyola (La.), Central Methodist (Mo.) and Texas Wesleyan.
| TREND | RANK | LAST TIME | INSTITUTION [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] | RECORD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | 1 | 1 | Eastern Oregon [18] | 15-0 |
| ▲ | 2 | 3 | Concordia (Neb.) | 11-2 |
| ▼ | 3 | 2 | Northwestern (Iowa) | 12-1 |
| ▲ | 4 | 9 | College of Idaho | 11-0 |
| ● | 5 | 5 | McPherson (Kan.) | 11-2 |
| ▼ | 6 | 4 | Corban (Ore.) | 10-3 |
| ▼ | 7 | 6 | Indiana Wesleyan | 10-4 |
| ▼ | 8 | 7 | Providence (Mont.) | 10-2 |
| ▲ | 9 | T-12 | Aquinas (Mich.) | 15-1 |
| ▼ | 10 | 8 | Missouri Baptist | 10-2 |
| ▲ | 11 | T-12 | Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) | 9-1 |
| ▼ | 12 | 11 | Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) | 12-2 |
| ▲ | 13 | 14 | Taylor (Ind.) | 15-4 |
| ▲ | 14 | 20 | Morningside (Iowa) | 13-3 |
| ▲ | 15 | 16 | Midland (Neb.) | 10-4 |
| ▲ | 16 | 19 | Bellevue (Neb.) | 8-2 |
| ▲ | 17 | 18 | Southern Oregon | 10-4 |
| ▲ | 18 | 24 | Viterbo (Wis.) | 12-5 |
| ▼ | 19 | 15 | Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) | 14-6 |
| ▼ | 20 | 17 | The Master’s (Calif.) | 8-5 |
| ▼ | 21 | 10 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 13-3 |
| ▼ | 22 | 21 | St. Thomas (Fla.) | 8-5 |
| ▲ | 23 | RV | Grace (Ind.) | 15-3 |
| ▲ | 24 | RV | Montana Tech | 10-1 |
| ▼ | 25 | 22 | IU Kokomo (Ind.) | 9-6 |
Receiving Votes: Bushnell (Ore.), College of Saint Mary (Neb.), Cornerstone (Mich.), Cumberland (Tenn.), Dordt (Iowa), Fisk (Tenn.), Nelson (Texas), Southeastern (Fla.), Spring Arbor (Mich.)
About the NAIA
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small college athletics programs dedicated to character-driven, education-based athletics. Since 1937, the NAIA has balanced high-level competition with holistic student-athlete development through its commitment to The Right Way to Play®. Each year more than 87,000 NAIA student-athletes compete in college athletics, earn over $1.3 billion in financial aid, and pursue opportunities to participate in 30 national championships. naia.org | @NAIA | #TheRightWayToPlay
Teams are closing in on postseason with about three weeks left of the regular-season. Check out the latest in NAIA Women’s Volleyball below. See you on the court! *Click the grey bars below to reveal additional content PRESTOSPORTS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK – OCTOBER 13 Previous Attackers of the Week Previous Defenders of the Week […]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Collegiate volleyball players previously faced limited opportunities after college to stay involved in the sport they love. However, with the rise of professional volleyball leagues in the United States that is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Professional volleyball’s emergence in the United States is reshaping the sport’s landscape and […]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Dordt (Iowa) remains at No. 1 in the latest NAIA Women’s Cross Country Coaches’ Top 25 Rating with 18 of 20 first-place votes. The Defenders collected 559 points to hold off second-ranked College of Idaho (540) and third-ranked Milligan (Tenn.) (517). Cornerstone (Mich.) continues to sit at No. 4, while St. […]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Caleb Greene, a graduate student from Milligan (Tenn.), is this week’s NAIA Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week for his efforts during the period ending on Sunday, October 11. Greene took part in the Royals Cross Country Challenge and placed sixth in the event over 247 runners across all divisions. […]